Mating electrical connectors typically employ pairs of inter-engaging pin and socket terminals for interconnecting a plurality of circuits or wires through the mated connectors. The pin and socket terminals are often called male and female terminals.
One type of female terminal includes a generally rectangular socket or receptacle at its mating end for receiving a generally rectangular pin or male terminal therein. The mating end is formed by an elongate body defining top and bottom walls and spaced apart opposing sidewalls, thereby defining a passageway for receiving the male terminal. Such terminals are conventionally stamped and formed from sheet material and the top and bottom walls may have open seams or slits, whereby the opposing sidewalls can flex transversely to the longitudinal axis of the terminal to enlarge the passageway as the male terminal is inserted therein.
Many applications require that connectors equipped with these types of terminals be plugged or mated together while electrical power is present at the terminals. Such connectors are known as hot pluggable connectors. During mating, and primarily unmating of the terminals in these hot pluggable connectors, electrical arcs are created by electrical current passing through the terminals as the terminals are mated or unmated. The terminals may become damaged by such arcing. Furthermore, non-conductive or poorly conducting residues, such as carbon and the like, may build up on the electrical contacts in the terminals due to the arcing. Such residues can interfere with the quality of the electrical contact between the terminals in a subsequent connection.
Some attempts to provide protection against arc discharging in the prior art include providing separate sequential terminals, or providing forward or lateral extensions on the terminals for sequential engagement of the terminals. While effective in reducing the negative effects of arcing, such terminals were larger than necessary due to the extra space required by these forward or lateral extensions. In some cases, these modified terminals were also more complicated to manufacture. Thus certain individuals would appreciate an improved terminal and/or connector system using the same.